Objectively/ReasonableA Community Response tothe Shooting of Tamir Rice, 11/22/14

Photo by Curtis Locke

Playwrights Local Presents

OBJECTIVELY/REASONABLEA Community Response to

the Shooting of Tamir Rice, 11/22/14

Written by Playwrights Local:Mike Geither, Tom Hayes, Lisa Langford,

Michael Oatman, and David Todd

Directed by Terrence SpiveyConceived and edited by David Todd

February 17 - March 11, 2017

CAST

Samone CummingsKali Hatten

Christina JohnsonLaShawn Little

Joshua McElroyMary-Francis Renee Miller

PhilliaCorin B. Self

Nathan Tolliver

PRODUCTION STAFF

Stage Manager: Geraldine HarrisAssistant Director: Nathan Tolliver

Lighting Designer: Margaret PeeblesSet Designer: Terrence SpiveySound Designer: David Todd

Board Operator: Ludie CummingsElectrician: Cory MolnerCarpenter: Tom Hayes

Group Sales: Cosandra Wheeler

NOTES

The run time is ~90 minutes with no intermission.Please be advised: strobe lighting effects are used during this performance.

Photography and video/audio recording are strictly prohibited.

THE PLAYWRIGHTS

Mike Geither is a playwright and solo performer whose works have been stagedin San Francisco, Chicago, Toronto, New York, and London. He is a four-timeOhio Arts Council fellow and has served as a resident artist at Headlands Centerfor the Arts in Sausalito. Recent works include Creation Myth (convergence-continuum), how small, how far away (Zuppa Theatre, Halifax), Flame Puppy(Playwrights Local), Tear It Off (convergence-continuum), and Loki and Lucy(Talespinner). He is currently an Associate Professor of English at ClevelandState University where he teaches in the Northeast Ohio MFA in creativewriting.

Tom Hayes is an award-winning playwright who received his MFA fromCleveland State University and the Northeast Ohio Masters of Fine Arts(NEOMFA) program. His play Lord of the Burgeoning Lumber was staged atconvergence-continnum and was awarded Best Original Script by a LocalPlaywright — 2008 by Rave and Pan. Tom’s play Patterns was staged atCleveland Public Theatre in 2011. Other plays have appeared at the ManhattanProject and Playwrights Local.

Lisa Langford recently received her MFA in creative writing. Several of herplays have been seen locally, including InCogNegro, The Bomb, and The SplitShow.

Michael Oatman is the Playwright-in-Residence at Karamu Theater, the oldestAfrican American theater in the country. He is only the second person to holdthis honor; the first being Langston Hughes. He won the 2011 CPAC WorkforceFellowship, the 2010 Cleveland Arts Prize for Best Emerging Artist, and the2010 Lantern Award for Best Play. In 2011, three of his full-length plays wereproduced: Breaking the Chains, You Got Nerve, and Sometime Hope Is Enough.In 2010, seven of his plays were produced in various venues: Black Nativity(Adaption), War paint, Eclipse: The War Between Pac and B.I.G., Course ofAction, My Africa, A Solitary Voice, Not a Uterus in Sight, and Hitler andGandhi. He earned an English Degree from Cleveland State University in 2004and completed his MFA in theater from the Northeastern Ohio Master of FineArts Consortium in 2008.

David Todd’s plays have been presented or developed in NYC at theatersincluding 59E59, Dixon Place, the Little Theater, HERE, and NY TheatreWorkshop, regionally in DC, Portland, and Chicago, and internationally at theLaMaMa Spoleto Open in Italy. His playwriting residencies include HangarTheater (Ithaca, NY), Classic Studio (NYC), and Chicago Dramatists. He earnedhis MFA in Dramatic Writing at NYU (Goldberg Award; Harry KondoleonAward) and his PhD at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has taught atNYU, SUNY Stony Brook, and Cleveland State University. His nonfiction bookFeeding Back was published in 2012 by Chicago Review Press, and his play Joyin Repetition was published in January 2014 by Connotation Press. Currently, heis the regional representative for the Dramatists Guild. He was awarded anIndividual Excellence Award by the Ohio Arts Council for 2016.

SPECIAL THANKS

Playwrights Local offers its deepest thanks to Samaria Rice and the Ricefamily for their consideration and support. We also thank all of this play’sother interviewees—who shall remain anonymous, according to ouragreement—for their time and thoughts. For advice and support, we thankSubodh Chandra and the Chandra Law Firm, LLC. Others we couldn’thave done this play without include: the amazing original cast; AmyCallahan and Waterloo Arts; and Ludie Cummings and Kwanza Brewer.

THE DIRECTOR

Terrence Spivey is a native Texan with a B.A. inTheatre from Prairie View A&M University. His wasArtistic Director of Karamu House for over twelveyears. During his artistic administration, Spiveyprogrammed over seventy productions and directedover twenty five, winning numerous awards. Duringhis stay, Karamu collaborated with numerous theatersand festivals throughout Northeast Ohio. He served asDirector in Residence for Kent State Pan AfricanStudies during the 2013-2014 season. Spivey hasappeared in Black Mask, Back Stage, Ebony, Artist

and Influences, and American Theatre. He served as board member forCommunity Partnership for Arts and Culture and the Cleveland Arts Prize, andcurrently serves on the national AUDELCO. He is a member of Black TheatreNetwork and an elected member of National Theatre Conference. In 2011, hewas given a proclamation by the Mayor and the City of Cleveland for his artisticcontributions and, under his leadership, Karamu was honored with the 2013AUDELCO Award for Repertory Company of the Year. As freelance director, hedirected one of The Plain Dealer's Top 10 plays of 2016, Bootycandy, atconvergence-continuum, Peter Lawson Jones' The Bloodless Jungle at EnsembleTheatre, and Kia Corthron's Breathe, Boom at John Carroll University. His mostrecent production is August Wilson's Radio Golf at Ensemble Theatre. His nextproject is Neighbors by Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins at convergence-continuum.

DIRECTOR'S NOTES

It has been a great honor to bring back Playwrights Local's criticality acclaimedproduction that was selected as one of the "outstanding plays" of 2016. WhenDavid Todd and Tom Hayes approached me to be part of an important workabout a young man who has become, as his very gracious mother would say, "afigure now," I was hooked. I would like to thank the original cast and the newcast for this revival, my assistant director Nathan Tolliver, stage manager GeriHarris, and the five major playwrights who dared themselves to go there,utilizing the arts: you all are soldiers-warriors. I would also like to thank AndreaSimakis once again for her tireless coverage during the summer of 2016, shininglight on such an important social issue beyond the arts. And, to Samaria Rice forgiving her blessing to this very important work.

THE CAST

Samone Cummings: Let me introduce myself. Myname is Samone Leslie Cummings. I’m 10 years old.I’m in the sixth grade at Dike School of the Arts. Ibelieve we all have a purpose and no one’s purpose isgreater than another. I feel I was brought here to make apositive impact on the world, through the arts. Ascripture I always tell myself: "God has not given methe spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a soundmind."

Kali Hatten is a ninth grade theatre major at theCleveland School of the Arts. He is very excited toparticipate in Objectively/Reasonable. Kali recentlyperformed in the Madame C.J. Walker Extravaganza,the Kuumba Arts Festival, and God’s Trombones.Kali’s other performances at Karamu House includeLeap of Faith, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, andXanadu. He also performed in productions at theCleveland School of the Arts including Home on theMorning Train and Crying Out for You. Kali dedicatesthis performance to his loving family and his churchfamily of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church.

Christina Johnson is a Cleveland-born singer,songwriter, and poet. As a performer for many years,the arts have become more than just performance forher, but a catalyst for learning, peace, and balance.The love of arts keep her connected on the stage, aswell as working behind the scenes of productions.Recently performances include Black Nativity, WhatIf, Crystal Clear, The Wiz, The Color Purple, Crowns,and Sister Act, to name a few. She is so excited to be apart of this cast and movement to cause awareness forthe urgency for much-needed change.

LaShawn Little has had the passion and gift to actsince the age of twelve. He is a graduate of theCleveland School of Performing Arts where he studiedtheater and creative writing. He was the secondrecipient of the Alex Haley/Florence KelleyScholarship at the Cleveland Playhouse. LaShawncontinued his education at Wilberforce Universitywhere he studied theater and mass mediacommunications. LaShawn appeared in KaramuTheater's Cerermonies of Dark Men and The Return ofSuperman and Dobama Theatre's Civil War Christmas

and Superior Doughnuts. LaShawn has beena featured extra with the Lilian Pylecasting company for the John Travolta film Criminal Activity and the Lifetimemovie With This Ring. LaShawn is also writer and co-producer/owner of I WasRollinProductionsLLC.

Joshua McElroy is a graduate of the Cleveland Instituteof Art. He aspires to be an actor, entertainer and acomedian. He has multiple talents other than being anartist: he's a musician, and for several years he was theleader of the Shaker Heights Improv Team, as well as amember of the Case Western Reserve University’sIMPROVment. Josh appeared in Karamu House's TheColor Purple, The Wiz, God’s Trombones, and recentlySister Act. Joshua is currently performing at the

Hilarities 4th Street Theater. Josh is also currently in the plays Harriet, As LongAs We Both Shall Live, and Tell Hell I Ain’t Coming.

Mary-Francis Renee Miller is an actor, singer, andmusician from South Euclid, Ohio. She attendedCleveland State University and received her training inthe Department of Theatre and Dance. She was also amember of the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus andChamber Chorus from 2013-2016. Mary-Francis' theatrecredits include the regional premiere of Margin of Error,the Ohio premiere of In Red and Brown Water, TheCrucible opera, and The Tempest. She has received twoIrene Ryan nominations during her undergrad at

Cleveland State. Mary-Francis' future obligations include singing on tour inFrance and Switzerland with the Wright Family Singers and singing backup forSergio Mendes Brasil 66 in Brazil.

Phillia: I enjoy all aspects of art. Art has a way ofexpressing oneself authentically which inspires knee-jerk reaction. That’s why I have participated in allaspects of the artistic scene in Cleveland since the age ofthree. By the grace of God, I have been blessed toperform at Karamu House, the Cleveland Playhouse,Tri-C, Dobama Theatre, East Cleveland Theater, andmany more. I have also starred in films including SwingLowe Sweet Chariote, Used to BE, The Crimson House,and Seven Minutes. When I am not performing, I am

teaching and learning all I can about the arts. During the summer of 2015, I hadthe pleasure of teaching theater for Karamu’s cultural arts camp and assistingRichard Morris in directing their production of Beauty and the Beast. Follow meon Facebook @Cleveland urban actor Phillia. Godbless.

Corin B. Self, a native of Cleveland, has been a lover ofthe performing arts from a very young age. Afterstudying Theater Arts at Morgan State University, hehas been in many performances, ranging from musicalsRagtime, Dreamgirls, and The Fantasticks, to straightplays such as Miss Evers’ Boys and Statements After anArrest Under the Immorality Act. He has also has starredin a short film project for American University’s Schoolof Film & Media, 2nd Shift, by Mikal K. Odom. He hasalso done voiceover work for Morgan State’s Fine Arts

Center as well as Radio One Baltimore and Clear Channel. He is very happy to

be a part of this wonderful piece. “It would be remiss of me to not leave it all onthe stage after EVERY performance!!! Thank you Mr. Spivey for affording methat opportunity.”

Nathan Tolliver is an actor/singer from Cleveland, Ohio.This is his first production with Playwrights Local. Hispast credits include The Wild Party, Slow Dance on theKilling Ground, Dreamgirls, Aida, The Wiz, and BlackNativity. Nathan is honored to be working with suchtalent on this protest piece, continuing this importantconversation about injustice and police brutality.

THE PRODUCTION STAFF

Ludie Cummings (Board Operator) is a Wife, Mother, and Educator for 15years. Words I live by: "When much is given, much is required.... Also whensomething is done in love, it will be received in love....so spread LOVE!"

Geraldine S. Harris (Stage Manager) is honored to serve as Stage Manager forthe 2017 production of Objectively/Reasonable. She is equally honored to reunitewith Terrence Spivey, former Artistic Director of Karamu, where she served as aresident Stage Manager for 10-1/2 seasons under his direction. With a career thatspans over 30 years, she has had the opportunity to work with many talentedindividuals. This production has only served to enhance her experience. To thePlaywrights... Bravo! To a stellar cast, thank you for making the magic happen.Ludie, your input and assistance has been worth its weight in gold. Most of all,she sends her love to the Rice family. "My prayer is that humanity will learnfrom your heartbreaking tragedy, and that the loss of your beloved Tamir will nothave been in vain."

Cory Molner (Electrician) is a local director, designer and collaborator intheatre. He has worked locally with many other theatres: ACT, convergence-continuum, NWT, HYT, Ensemble, Blank Canvas, and Cleveland ShakespeareFestival. By day, he works for Tri-C. Thank you for supporting live theatre.

Margaret Peebles (Lighting Designer) is an MFA Candidate of LightingDesign at the University of Connecticut and received her BFA in Theater Designand Technology from Kent State University. Her credits include ConnecticutRepertory Theatre’s Sense and Sensibility and The Laramie Project, the TrinityCollege Dance Festival, and Lamia with Suzanne Karpinski. She has alsoassisted on Hartford Stage’s Anastasia and Porthouse Theatre’s Ring of Fire.Margaret recently completed the Lighting Design Internship at WilliamstownTheatre Festival. She has also worked for several companies including TexasPanhandle Heritage Foundation, Porthouse Theatre, and Seagle Music Colony.

SUPPORT FOR THIS PRODUCTION

The Chandra Law Firm, LLC

SUPPORT FOR PLAYWRIGHTS LOCAL

PLAYWRIGHTS LOCAL

Playwrights Local is dedicated to supporting the dramatists ofNortheast Ohio. As a playwrights’ development and productioncenter, we foster diverse talents and present locally written works.

We strive to increase the impact of original theater on the communityand to raise the profile of area playwrights both within GreaterCleveland and beyond.

Artistic Director........................David ToddManaging Director....................Thomas W. HayesDirector in Residence................Dale HeinenTeaching Artist.........................Arwen MitchellEngagement Coordinator..........Mike GeitherArtistic Associate......................Jaclyn C. Cifranic